Improvement in canvas covers for barrels



F. G. JOHNSON. Canvas Cover for Barrels. No. 223,048.

Patented Dec. 30,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK G. JOHNSON, OF BOOOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANVAS COVERS FOR BARRELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,048, dated December 30, 1879; application filed October 23, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. JOHNSON, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Canvas (lovers for Barrels, which improvement is full y set forth in the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

In transporting commodities in barrels it is often desirable to fill the barrel more than level-full, in which cases canvas covers are employed, which are fastened by drivinghoops over the canvas and nailing the hoops and cover to the barrel. The objections to this method are, first, the hoops must beremoved; then, second, they must be nailed on; and, third, they must be again removed to take the cover off; or else, fourth, the canvas must be removed by cutting it out. These coopering operations which are often repeated several times to inspect the contents of the barrel, are injurious to if not wholly destructive of the barrel, hoops, and cover, besides necessitating time, labor, and expense.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections and provide a canvas cover for barrels which can be repeatedly employed by being conveniently and securely fastened upon the barrel and removed therefrom without removing or in any way injuring the hoops or barrel or destroying the canvas, and without the employment of nails, adze, hammer, or any coopering operation, thereby affording also convenient inspection of the contents of the barrel, and a great saving of time, trouble, and expense.

Briefly described, my invention is an adj ustable iron-bound canvas cover for barrels, consisting of a circular piece of suitable canvas or cloth hemmed upon an expanding and contracting round-iron band constructed as described, and provided with convenient means for securely binding the band and cover to the sides of a barrel.

A moredetailed description of my invention is as follows, reference being had to the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the cover in position on a barrel; Fig. 2, a downward view of the cover, and Fig. 3 a

view showing the manner of fastening the canvas to the iron band and the manner of binding them both onto the barrel.

B represents the canvas of the cover; G (J, the round iron band upon which the cover is hemmed, as shown by b b, Fig. 3. a

To make the cover adjustable to barrels of different dimensions, and to furnish the means of securing it} to the barrel I make the iron band about three inches less in length than the circumference of an average-sized barrel, and pass the ends of the hand through the hem of the canvas, as shown at c c, Fig. 3, leaving a space, 6, three inches or so between the ends of the band. This space I) on the hem allows the band to be opened or closed, or contracted and expanded sufliciently to be put upon barrels of different diameters, and to be passed over and below the top wooden hoops of the barrel.

To furnish the means of binding or fastening the cover to the barrel, I turn or bend the ends of the iron band, which protrude through and stand outsideof the hem Z1 Z1, sufficiently far back upon themselves (shown at c c) as to form suitable hooks for attaching and holding the binding or tightening cord D. One end of the binding'cord D, for attaching to said hooks, is attached to one of the hooks c c by a slip-knot.

Having described the three parts of my invention-namely, the canvas, iron band, and binding-cord-and the manner of combining them together, the method of applying and fastening the cover to the barrel A is briefly described as follows The ends 0 c of the iron band are drawn apart sufficiently to straighten out that portion of the hem which is between the ends of the iron band, (shown by b,) which will allow the iron band to be'slipped over the top of the barrel and down below the top wooden hoops of the barrel. The cover being thus placed in position, it is now securely fastened to the barrel by passing the binding cord D over the opposite hook from the one to which the cord is fastened by the slip-knot, and drawing the cord very tight, and then passing it two orthree times over the two,

hooks c c, and finally half-hitching the end on one of the hooks c c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To remove the cover from the barrel it is bent ends so as to form hooks, and bindingonly necessary to unloose the binding-cord D. cord D, substantially in the manner and for Having thus described the construction and the purposes set forth.

operation of my invention, What I claim as FRANK G JOHNSON new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Witnesses The combination, in a barrel-cover, of the ERNEST E. MALMAR,

canvas 13, iron band C G, constructed with I EDWARD BELL. 

